Protect Your Collective Bargaining and Job Rights

The six-year highway-transit bill currently being debated in the United States Senate includes provisions that would significantly undermine the collective bargaining and job rights of transit and rail workers throughout the nation. 

ATU members can help protect their rights by contacting their Democratic Senators and asking them to contact Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in an effort to remove the unwarranted changes in the bill.  Senator Reid is a great friend of labor, and, as Minority Leader, he is in a unique position to lead the fight to protect the rights of transit workers.

We must act fast!  The Senate is expected to act on this legislation this week!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Reject Changes to Transit Worker Rights

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As your constituent and a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), I am writing to ask for your help to preserve the long-standing collective bargaining and job rights of transit and rail employees by working to reject unwarranted changes to existing federal law.

The Senate version of the pending highway-transit bill, without any justification, would scale back and create loopholes in my collective bargaining and job rights - known as Section 13(c) rights - which ensure that transit workers are protected when federal funds are used to acquire, improve or operate a transit system. This law ensures stability and labor-management cooperation in the transit industry. It is not broken, and it does not need to be fixed.

Please don't allow Congress to erode our nation's commitment to the men and women who provide safe, secure, and efficient transit services to our communities. I urge you to contact Democratic Leader Harry Reid and ask him to lead the fight to remove these flawed and unnecessary changes to federal labor law. Please let me know your position on these issues as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 28, 2005


Background Information

Background of Section 13(c)

Starting in the 1964 Federal Transit Act, Section 13(c) ensures that when federal funds are used to acquire, improve or operate a transit system or commuter rail operation, fair and equitable arrangements must be made to protect the rights of affected employees.

Section 13(c) has been included in every federal transit grant act since 1964 and has been the basis for remarkable labor relations stability in the transit industry as technology, structural and service improvements have been implemented.

Specifically, the protective agreements required by 13(c) must, at a minimum: (1) preserve the rights and benefits of employees under existing collective bargaining agreements; (2) continue collective bargaining rights; (3) protect individual employees from a worsening of their position with respect to their employment; and (4) provide assurances of employment to employees of acquired transit systems and priority of re-employment and paid training. 

The Senate Changes

The six-year highway-transit bill being considered by the Senate includes provisions that would reduce the protective period for dismissed/displaced employees from 6 to 4 years; would limit the rights of workers to follow their work as a result of a change in provate contractors through competetive bidding; and would create loopholes in 13(c) coverage for certain programs within the federal transit program.